Fishing report: Hope you aren’t tired of terrestrials | State & Regional

It doesn’t make for the most exciting fishing report, but man, does it make for exciting fishing.

Given the predictability of what fish are eating across the state, this is also a great opportunity to explore some new water if your local fishery is restricted. Chances are those water walkers you just bought will work almost anywhere at the moment. 

Now, possibly more than ever, there is no excuse to harass trout trying to survive in potentially lethal water temperatures. 

Bighorn River — It’s prime time on the Bighorn. Hatches of black caddis, PMDs, pseudos and a few tan caddis have kept the fish looking up throughout the day. There’s been a noticeable amount of angling pressure, but the fish don’t seem to mind. Morning fishing has been fairly slow as the fish are awaiting the hatches, which occur around 11 a.m. until dark. Nymphing has been very steady through the entire river with Frenchies, split-case PMDs, poodle sniffers, orange scuds, PTs and a variety of PMD and caddis imitations.— Bighorn Angler, Fort Smith. 

Fort Peck Reservoir, Hell Creek — Fishing has been anywhere from good to phenomenal if you’re in the right place at the right time. The walleye fishing has been good, and one angler came in with a 32-incher on Sunday. Salmon are biting deep with a majority of fish being taken in 80-100 feet of water. The bass bite has also been suburb. If you find the right school, you can reel them in until your arms feel like they’re going to fall off. — Hell Creek Marina.

Missouri River, below Holter — Fishing is good and water temps are starting to cool off, hovering around 63-65 degrees. Hoppers and big ants have been the best way to get a bite, and there are more and more tricos around during the mornings. A double-dry rig with a pink hopper and a size 8-10 Bubba’s ant off the back fished during the morning has been most productive. There are fewer caddis around these days, but fish haven’t shown much interest in them for a while. — Montana Fly Goods, Helena.

Beaverhead River — Anglers continue to do well nymphing while waiting on the crane fly hatch to show up. There have been reports of a handful of fish eating the large dries in the upper stretches of the river. Fish are eating larger nymphs, like size 6-10 prince nymphs and larger tungsten caddis pupa. Folks have also continued to catch fish on PMD nymphs. Scuds are getting bit below the dam as well. Hopper anglers are still catching fish on the lower river. — Frontier Anglers, Dillon.

Big Hole River — The river is low but the weather is starting to cool off, and recent rain has also helped. Fishing remains good early in the day. Ants, hoppers and beetles on top have been good choices. Perdigons and Spanish bullets are still producing subsurface. It doesn’t seem like hopper fishing has peaked yet, so look for more hoppers finding their way to the water during the next month. Purple hazes and Rocky Mountain mints in sizes 14-18 have been great when the fish don’t want a bigger fly. — The StoneFly Fly Shop, Butte.

Bighorn Lake, Ok-A-Beh — With folks shifting their focus to archery season, there hasn’t been much in the way of fishing reports. — Scheels, Billings.

Bitterroot River — Hoot-owl restrictions are in effect on the whole river (excludes east and west forks). Fishing is restricted to the hours between midnight and 2 p.m. daily. The fishing is still tough on the middle to lower Bitterroot, but it’s much better above Hamilton. The floating has been really tough this year, so if you love wade fishing this is the river for you as there probably won’t be much boat traffic. Plus, the river is low enough to wade almost anywhere. There are tricos out now and it will only get better for the next month. Bring your A-game with light tippets, small flies and drag-free drifts being rewarded. Terrestrial fishing with hoppers and beetles is the only other hatch happening right now. — Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop, Missoula.

Blackfoot River — The Blackfoot continues to be one of the most consistent bodies of water when it comes to trout fishing. There are a few tricos out in spots and the terrestrial fishing is still going. Hoppers in tan, pink and peach with a rubberlegs, 20-incher, Perdigon or San Juan dropper has been the go-to rig for searching for fish. Tricos in the late morning in certain spots are making for some fun but challenging dry-fly fishing. Size 20-22 Tucker’s Twiggy, Organza spinners, Para-Wulff’s and P-Hazes on light tippet with a drag free drift should produce some eats. The bite is best during the mornings into the early afternoon. — Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop, Missoula.

Boulder River — The Boulder is fishing well both above and below the Natural Bridge. In the forest, fish small hoppers, spruce moths and other terrestrials. Below the bridge, experiment with different hopper-dropper combinations and golden stone patterns. — Sweetcast Angler, Big Timber.

Canyon Ferry Reservoir — Walleye and perch are being caught between Duck Creek and Pond 1, and between Hellgate and Confederate, especially off of bay points. The best action has been while using bottom-bouncers with green, orange or white spinner blades tipped with either a worm or leech.  Rainbow trout fishing is picking up around White Earth, Confederate and the north end while trolling cowbells. Rainbows are also being caught from shore by White Earth in Beaver Creek Bay and around Confederate. — FWP, Helena.

Clark Fork River, Missoula — The Clark Fork from Flint Creek upstream to Warm Springs, and the confluence of the Bitterroot to the confluence of the Flathead is hoot-owled. Fishing is open from midnight until 2 p.m. The mouth of Rattlesnake Creek within a 100-yard radius of where it dumps into the Clark Fork is closed to fishing right now so that bull trout can head up the creek to spawn. The Clark Fork is fishing well in the mornings. PMDs are still out and trout are eating them regularly. A few tricos have been spotted, but nothing crazy just yet. Hoppers are starting to really get going. A tan, yellow or pink hopper twitched has been good. Nocturnal stones like a peacock Plan B, Luna Negra or purple chubby have also been good when twitched. Throw a rubberlegs, 20-incher, San Juan or crayfish off the back and you should be set. — Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop, Missoula.

Flathead Lake (South) — The whitefish bite has been hit-or-miss. Anglers can go out and catch 50-plus one day and get skunked the next. It’s all about being in the right place at the right time. — Zimmer Bait and Tackle, Pablo.

Flathead National Forest lakes — Kokanee fishing at Ashley Lake and Bitterroot Lake has been great, but get out there now before they go into spawning mode. The best strategy for getting a bite is pulling a pink Wannabe with a monofilament dropper. You can also try heading north on I-93 to Dickey Lake in the Kootenai National Forest, as the kokanee have also been biting pretty good up there as well. — Zimmer Bait and Tackle, Pablo.

Flathead River, below Kerr Dam — People are catching smallmouth bass using a variety of methods. Fly fisherman have been having luck with wooly buggers. Spin fishermen have been using night crawlers and plastic worms with good success. — Zimmer Bait and Tackle, Pablo.

Flathead River, below Hungry Horse — The bite has been excellent with orange stimulators, orange elk hair caddis, purple Kraken, parachute purple haze, parachute Adams, renegades and H&L variants. The cutthroats are mostly in the 10-15 inch range with a few bigger fish mixed in. But with the water being crystal clear, you’ll have to use 6x tippet most of the time. A 13-inch trout on light line in fast water will give you a pretty good fight. Folks have found themselves down to their backing during some battles. Quite a few black bears have been spotted down by the water so be bear aware. — Arends Fly Shop, Columbia Falls.

Fresno Reservoir — The bite is mediocre to slow. As walleye tend to do, the ones caught have been had by crawlers and leeches. — Roberts Bait& Tackle, Great Falls.

Gallatin River — Hoot-owl restrictions are currently in place from Cameron Bridge to the confluence of the Gallatin and Missouri, which means that stretch is closed to fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight. In the Canyon, the Gallatin is fishing great. Try running foam chubbies, hoppers, sallies or spruce moths for your top bug in a dry-dropper setup. Behind that you can tie on various perdigons, hare’s ears, prince nymphs and stoneflies. For the dry-or-die angler, fish a chubby as your top fly and an x-caddis or missing-link caddis as your dropper. — Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Georgetown Lake — Fishing has slowed but will pick up with these cooler days. Trying your luck subsurface with black, olive or red leeches might produce some bites. Ants on top can generate some surface action along with some smaller parachute patterns like purple hazes and Adams. Stillwater nymphs, prince nymphs, sheep creeks or Carey specials are good below an indicator and twitched every once in a awhile. Get your angling done early in the day to beat the heat. — The StoneFly Fly Shop, Butte.

Hauser Reservoir — Walleye action has been good lately and most are being picked up in the Causeway arm and from White Sandy to York Bridge while jigging or slip bobber fishing in 15-30 feet of water. Rainbows continue to be picked up from shore below Canyon Ferry Dam with crawlers and marshmallows, spinners or flies and between Black Sandy and Devil’s Elbow while trolling cowbells with lead core line, and while jigging for walleye. — FWP, Helena.

Holter Reservoir — Walleye and perch fishing has been great lately around the docks at the public boat ramps, Mann Gulch, Cottonwood Creek and around weed beds and other points on the lower end of the reservoir. Jigging with white-, purple- or perch-colored jigs and crawlers in 10-25 feet of water has been most productive. An occasional kokanee can be picked up during the early morning hours on the lower end of the reservoir while vertically jigging, or trolling Dodgers or flashers tipped with a spinner and shoepeg corn in 40-60 feet of water. A few rainbows continue to be caught on the lower end of the reservoir while trolling cowbells with lead core line, near the Gates of the Mountains with various flies, and while out searching for perch and walleye. — FWP, Helena.

Kootenai River — Lots of caddis are around. A parachute mahogany will be your go-to fly in about a size 14-16. Olive caddis will also work. The water is also low enough to walk and wade – above and below the falls – as long as you are physically able to walk up and down the river. — Arends Fly Shop, Columbia Falls. 

Lake Koocanusa — With the warm weather, the fishing has slowed down overall. Trout and salmon can still be caught in the mornings in 15-30 feet of water. The salmon are biting trout-, black- and yellow-pattern lures. — Koocanusa Resort and Marina, Libby.

Madison River, Lower — This river is hoot-owled, which means no fishing from 2 p.m. until midnight. During permitted hours, the water is still reaching lethal temperatures for trout fishing. There are better angling opportunities elsewhere. — Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Madison River, Upper — The stretch from Eight Mile Ford to Ennis Lake is under hoot-owl restrictions. Fishing is not permitted from 2 p.m. until midnight. That being said, the Upper has been fishing excellent. Hopper dropper season is still in full swing right now. A nocturnal stonefly such as a Pteranarcy’s chubby or a royal water walker in the morning has been great. As the day heats up, switching to a small pink hopper with a black- or red-bodied ant or a purple-bodied beetle has been productive. Midday, dropping a small and flashy nymph such as a nymphicator or a rainbow warrior off the back has been the ticket.  Streamer fishing has been better downstream of Lyons Bridge. There are also lots of caddis, sulphers and a few spruce moths out and about up high. — Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Marias River — Catfish and sturgeon are both eating night crawlers. Cut bait has also yielded decent results. — Roberts Bait & Tackle, Great Falls.

Missouri River, Fort Benton — The fishing has been almost the same as the Marias. Catfish and sturgeon are eating night crawlers, and cut bait has also been productive. Walleye and sauger fishing is slow. — Roberts Bait & Tackle, Great Falls.

Noxon Rapids Reservoir — Surface water temp is around 80 degrees and bass are biting in about 5-15 feet of water along deep weed lines. Try throwing a Texas rig, creature bait, worms and weightless worms for best results. Perch and bluegill can be had along weed lines as well, mostly around boat docks. As usual, trout are hanging out in the mouths of feeder creeks. There are a few pike that can be found in 15 feet of water around deep weed edges, and walleye are being caught 25-45 feet below the surface around train trestles, bridges and creek channels. The water is crystal clear, so if you can get away with using lighter line, do it. — Lakeside Motel and Resort.

Pishkun Reservoir — A few northern pike have been landed recently. Successful anglers have been using smelt and herring. — Roberts Bait & Tackle, Great Falls.

Rock Creek (east) — Water is staying cool and fish are hammering terrestrials. You can also try trailing a stonefly or caddis nymph below your top bug, but you’ll more than likely see the take on that big foam hopper. There are a few caddis and PMD hatches as well. — East Rosebud Fly Shop, Red Lodge.

Rock Creek (west) — Rock Creek is fishing good into late August and water temps are hanging in there. That being said, morning and early afternoon fishing has been much better than evenings. Spruce moths are pretty much done for the season, but there are a few tricos are out and should keep getting better for those who like to fish those small mayflies. Terrestrials are the name of the game right now with a hopper-dropper being the best rig to find fish. Drop a 20-incher, black rubberlegs, San Juan, Perdigon or Spanish bullet off the back of your hopper. Fishing a small ant has been good for bigger fish if you’re looking to just fish a dry. An ant-acid, glitter ant or foam ant is a good way to search for those larger models. — Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop, Missoula.

Stillwater River — Trout have been all over the hoppers. You can hang a prince nymph or girdle bug off the back, but the fish are keying in on the hoppers. Pro tip: let you hopper get a little water-logged so that it rides slightly below the surface. For whatever reason, that’s what fish have preferred lately. — East Rosebud Fly Shop, Columbus.

Yellowstone River, Big Timber — Fishing is good on the ’Stone, especially with stonefly nymphs and various dries. Hopper-droppers continue to get eats. Look for tricos early and spinner falls a little later. A streamer in the riffles can also be productive. — Sweetcast Angler, Big Timber.

Yellowstone River, Columbus — Fishing is picking up again. It’s been almost all hoppers, all the time. Similar to the Stillwater, let the hopper drown a little for better production. For those who like a good tight-line strike, streamer fishing has also been great using a gold and silver Kreelex or a Grinch. — East Rosebud Fly Shop, Columbus.

Yellowstone River, Livingston — Since the mud has let off, fishing has been great. Hoppers and streamers are all you’ll need because 90% of the bug life was flushed through during the flooding that happened earlier this year. The only foods available to the fish right now are terrestrials and other baitfish. Try various hoppers like the thunder thigh, panty dropper, Morrish, chubbies and water walkers. Our favorite streamer recently has been the sex dungeon, full size and mini, in yellow, olive, white, or black. A few more streamers to try would be the McCune’s sculpin, hare sculpin, butt monkey, Drunk & Disorderly, dolly llama, Kreelex, wooly bugger and Krystal bugger. — Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.